1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shoes and accessories therefore, in particular an accessory for attachment to the exterior of the shoe and an insole for use with the shoe.
2. Description of Related Art
In the present specification, references to a “shoe” or “shoes” are not to be taken as being limited to a single type of footwear, but are to be interpreted as embracing all forms of footwear, including but not limited to shoes, training shoes, sports shoes, such as running shoes and soccer boots, sandals, boots, plimsolls, slippers and the like. Other items of footwear are also embraced by this term, including roller skates, ice skates, ski and snowboard boots, other sporting footwear, and the like. The terms “shoe” and “shoes” are used herein to refer to this generic group of items, unless otherwise specified.
It is established practice to adorn the exterior of shoes with patterns and markings. A very common form of pattern or marking is the branding of the exterior surface of the shoe with a branded pattern or design or one or more trademarks. Such branding may be carried out by incorporating into the structure of the shoe materials or fabrics having one or more colors or designs visible from the exterior of the shoe.
Alternatively, it is known to affix to the exterior of the shoe, for example, by stitching or adhesive, patches of fabric bearing the design, brand, trademark or logo.
From the point of view of the consumer or purchaser of the shoe, hitherto, once the purchase of the particular shoe has been made, the new owner is confined to the particular design of shoe. To date, there has been little opportunity provided to the purchasers of shoes to change the appearance and overall design of shoes, once purchased. Given the high purchase price of many shoes, this can be seen to be a significant disadvantage to the purchaser and wearer of these items.
In addition to the aforementioned methods of providing patterns and designs to shoes, it is also known to provide certain designs of shoes, in particular training shoes, with certain light emitting means. Generally, such light emitting means are located in the sole of the shoe, more specifically in or adjacent the heel portion of the sole. In one known structure, the sole of the shoe is provided with a pressure-activated energy source, such as a piezo electric unit, generating a sufficient electrical power to emit light by means of a light emitting diode or the like. This arrangement is encased within the plastic sole of the training shoe and is activated by the motion of the foot of the wearer when the wearer is walking or running. The sole of the shoe is provided with at least a portion comprising a sufficiently transparent material for the light to be visible from the exterior of the shoe when being worn by the wearer. While such light emitting shoe designs have proven popular, once again there is no possibility provided to the purchaser or wearer to modify or vary the light emitting properties of the shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,148 discloses an item of footwear, such as a shoe, with optical fiber illuminating display areas and a control module for the same. The shoe comprises a display panel on a portion of the shoe illuminated by light emitted from optical fibers extending from a light emitting device located in the sole of the shoe. A control module is located in the sole of the shoe, in particular the heel, and comprises the light emitting device, together with control components, a power source, such as a battery, and a switch, such as a pressure switch or a motion sensor.
The device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,148 provides a means of generating a display on the upper of a shoe. However, the arrangement is an integral part of the shoe and leaves the purchaser of the shoe with a single design of display. In addition, should the control device malfunction or the battery become exhausted, the display elements of the shoe are rendered inoperative. This could be well before the shoe is worn out and in need of replacement.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved means for personalizing a shoe and providing a versatile system for accessorizing a shoe with a display. In particular, it would be advantageous is such a system could be used with existing shoes, obviating the need to purchase completely new shoes having the display feature.